Prevent MAID expansion to mental illness

AI summary

Petitioners ask Parliament to pass C-218 to block MAID for people whose sole grievous and irremediable condition is mental illness. The government responds that the exclusion remains until March 2027 while readiness work continues.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons Whereas: Medical assistance in dying will expand to Canadians with mental illness on March 17, 2027, unless Parliament intervenes; Parliament considers it a priority to ensure that supports are in place for the mental health of everyone in Canada; Vulnerable Canadians must be given suicide prevention instead of suicide assistance; Medical assistance in dying risks normalizing suicide as a solution for those suffering from mental illness; Canada should focus on increasing mental health supports and improving access to these supports instead of offering medical assistance in dying for those with mental illness; Bill C-218 seeks to provide that a mental disorder is not a grievous and irremediable medical condition for which a person could receive medical assistance in dying; Therefore we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: Support Bill C-218 and stop the expansion of medical assistance in dying to those with mental illness.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Health Signed by Maggie Chi Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is a complex and deeply personal issue. Provinces and territories are responsible for the organization, management and delivery of health services in their jurisdiction, including medical assistance in dying as part of end-of-life or complex care, within a federal legal framework that sets out strict criteria and robust safeguards. There is no automatic right to medical assistance in dying in Canada. Only those individuals with a grievous and irremediable (untreatable) medical condition – meaning that they have a serious and incurable illness condition or disability; are in an advanced state of irreversible decline; and, are experiencing intolerable and enduring suffering – may be eligible for medical assistance in dying. An individual with a grievous and irremediable condition that is a mental illness, however, is not currently eligible for medical assistance in dying in Canada. This means that they cannot receive medical assistance in dying. In 2021, Parliament amended the Criminal Code to permit eligibility for individuals suffering from grievous and irremediable medical conditions whose death was not reasonably foreseeable, if they met the strict eligibility criteria and expanded safeguards. At that time, Parliament also enacted a temporary exclusion to exempt individuals who suffer solely from a grievous and irremediable mental illness from being eligible for medical assistance in dying, pending further review. This review was undertaken by an independent expert panel to consider protocols, guidance and safeguards to apply to requests for medical assistance in dying by persons who suffer from grievous and irremediable mental illness. The Expert Panel’s report was tabled in Parliament in 2022. As well, a special committee of Parliament, the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying was struck to consider issues related to medical assistance in dying, with a focus on the issue of individuals whose grievous and irremediable condition is mental illness. Its 2022 report emphasized the importance of standards of practice, clear guidelines, adequate training, comprehensive patient assessments and meaningful oversight in advance of the eligibility exclusion being lifted. Its 2024 report concluded that Canada was not yet ready to proceed with eligibility for this population. The temporary exclusion exempting individuals whose sole grievous and irremediable condition is mental illness from eligibility for medical assistance in dying remains in place, having been extended twice by Parliament. This was done in response to concerns from provinces and territories and medical experts regarding health system readiness for addressing these types of requests for medical assistance in dying. Currently, the temporary exclusion is slated to automatically lift in March 2027. In advance of the lifting of the exclusion, a special joint parliamentary committee has been established to consider health system readiness with respect to the assessment and provision of MAID for individuals whose grievous and irremediable condition is mental illness. This committee is required to submit their final report to parliament no later than October 2, 2026. Health Canada has been working with provinces and territories to support them as they ready their health systems. It has supported the development of guidance and training for practitioners by: Funding the development of clinical practice guidelines to support health care practitioners in assessing requests for medical assistance in dying where a mental illness is the sole underlying grievous and irremediable condition. These guidelines will address issues related to suicidality and irremediability of mental disorders and are being done by the Canadian Psychiatric Association. The work is expected to be completed by spring 2026. Funding the Canadian Association of Medical Assistance in Dying Assessors and Providers to develop and deliver the Canadian Medical Assistance in Dying Curriculum, an accredited bilingual curriculum for clinicians. The curriculum includes modules on complex medical assistance in dying scenarios and provides the main clinical practice considerations involved in medical assistance in dying for persons with mental illness. Publishing the Model Practice Standard for Medical Assistance in Dying and accompanying Advice to the Profession document, developed by an expert task group of clinicians. Protecting vulnerable persons, including those in crisis or experiencing mental illness, is a priority for our Government. Through Canada’s first National Suicide Prevention Action Plan, we are coordinating efforts with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners, and experts to reduce risk and save lives. A cornerstone of this work is 9-8-8, Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline. It is free, confidential, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in English and French, by voice and text. Between November 2023 and July 2025, 9-8-8 answered over 600,000 calls and texts. It is a lifeline for people in crisis, and we are committed to strengthening it.